Ektomorf – Aggressor

Twenty-one years and ten albums into their career, EKTOMORF still can’t help but sound like “Roots” era SEPULTURA. There’s some moments on “Aggressor” that are so similar to their heroes it’s a small miracle that a certain Brazilian family haven’t sued them into oblivion. The question now is whether it’s really that much of a problem? Band leader Zoltan Farkas has been quite upfront about how he idolises Max Cavalera and there are literally hundreds of Death Metal groups out there who rip off CANNIBAL CORPSE yet don’t get half as much abuse as these Hungarian lads.

Plus, taken on its own merits, “Aggressor” isn’t a bad album. In fact it’s really rather good and anyone that felt a bit short changed when “Archangel” barely reached the thirty minute mark should get a hefty tribal fix from it: This is an uncomplicated, ‘bang head constantly’ record with lots of groove laden guitar riffs and foul-mouthed lyrics and while it won’t convert any of their naysayers, EKTOMORF’s devoted faithful will lap it up. The likes of “I,” “You Lost,” “Damned Nation” and the massive title track for instance are thick slabs of bull-headed confrontation. There’s a muscular stomp in all the down-tuned power chords, with the odd moment of melodic introspection like the intro to “Eastside” quickly being overtaken by more bruising violence. After so long plying his trade, Farkas knows how to craft a song and there’s a wealth of three-minute anthems built around big choruses lurking in the track list.

As usual, the subjects revolve largely around anti-racist, socio-political themes but they’re all tackled in a straightforward way. There’s no clever observations on the nature of man, just raised middle-fingers to anyone that practices hate as a way of life, “Damned Nation” and “Holocaust” both raging against a world gone wrong in an uncomplicated, ‘fuck you’ kind of way. Not everything is a success of course. It’s a bit too long for one thing and could have done with leaving a couple of songs on the cutting room floor, especially those that get too close to being SOULFLY copies. “Move On” in particular is so remarkably similar to “Seek N’ Strike” that it’s difficult to listen to without feeling embarrassed and awkward. Thankfully it’s followed by “Evil By Nature,” an undeniable highlight which features guest vocals from "Corpsegrinder" Fischer and is so heavy it could incite a mosh in a convent.

So yes, EKTOMORF still live in the shadow of SOULFLY but they still have enough quality anthems in their catalogue for both acts to co-exist. “Aggressor” is hero-worship sure, but it’s very entertaining and the lack of pretension is quite refreshing. Once you get past the inevitable over-familiarity, you might find yourself coming back to EKTOMORF more than you’d expect. This’ll keep the circles spinning at Wacken and With Full Force for at least a few more years.